Argentine Presidential Elections, 2005
Overview The first two years of Tabaré Vazquez's Presidency occured without incidents, with the PJ even improving its electoral perfomance in the 2001 Legislative Elections; but after 2001 there was a economic deceleration of the World Economy, which impacted once again in Argentina as in 1992-93. Vazquez responded with a statist approach to the economy, creating various State Enterprises and, more polemically, the nationalization of Aerolineas Argentinas, privatized in 1988. This drew great opposition from the UCR but tacit support from parts of the MODIN, which enabled these projects to pass through Congress. In early 2003, however, a major drought affected Argentina's ultra-important agricultural region of the Pampas, which ruined most of the harvest there. This fully impacted the Argentine economy, with inflation reaching 36% by October 2003 and unemployment 8,6%. Oct. 2003 was the date of the Legislatives, with the PJ losing its majority to the UCR and then the MODIN. With rising hunger levels, in late 2004 Vazquez made his last play in proposing a Food Security Law, which would establish the rationing of consumer products for two years, or until the crisis stopped. This not only outraged the majority opposition Congress, but society in general. In December of that year massive protests happened against Vazquez, with attendances of up to 3 Million; the government barely avoiding collapse. The situation barely improved in 2005, and this was negated for the PJ due to electoral exhaustion. Candidates UCR Barely anyone questioned the theory of a Unión Civica Radical victory or even landslide, but everyone questioned the party's candidates for the elections, as most of the 'old guard' were indeed, old. Inspired by Tabaré Vazquez's outsider status and the success of the 3rd Party MODIN, two outside candidates - and also women - surged in the Primaries: Margarita Stolbizer and Elisa Carrió. Elisa Carrió started out in a lead in the polls, but it weakened over time as her loudness to denounce acts of corruption - regarded as one of her strenghts - had the side effect of creating several gaffes and unfortunate situations in other matters of speech. Still, the end result was close, with Stolbizer winning 42% to Carrió's 40%. Margarita selected Senator Rodolfo Terragno as her running mate. Justicialist Party For the Justicialist Party, the panorama looked bleak. Not only was a PJ facing a major economic crisis, but the party was still divided from 1999, due to the Peronist Northern Governors supporting the MODIN; which had shifted consideradly to the economic right in the years after the 1999 Election. As such, the Party convention nominated Vice-President Eduardo Duhalde with a platform against reconciliation with the rightist MODIN, selecting Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli as his running mate. The election of two major Buenos Aires politicians and Tabaré's still 'nice' popularity in Uruguay guaranteed a good electoral base for 2005, but it didn't sit well for the Interior governors and PJ politicians, which mostly defected for the MODIN. Duhalde maintained a relatively centrist discourse through his campaign. Other Parties The MODIN enjoyed these new defections, and nominated San Luis governor Adolfo Rodríguez Saá for president with Tucumán deputy José Alperovich for the vicepresidential role. It campaigned on a platform of Federalism and Anti-Communism, again strong in the North of Argentina. In the end, the results were as expected. Margarita Stolbizer won the election with just the right number of electoral votes, and 41% of the popular vote. The division of the PJ impacted strongly on it, each candidate obtaining roughly 28% of the vote, although Duhalde obtained more EV's due to the Buenos Aires province. Stolbizer was inaugurated on December 10, 2005. Fourth Biggest Parties Partido Justicialista (Centrist) Eduardo Duhalde - Daniel Scioli Unión Civica Radical (Center-Right) Margarita Stolbizer - Rodolfo Terragno Movimiento por la Dignidad y la Independencia (Right, Federalist, Anti-Communist) Adolfo R. Saá, José Alperovich Partido Socialista (Socialist) Jorge Altamira, Myriam Bregman